Thread: Is it possible to strop too much?

Is stropping before every shave excessive? Am I just expediting the dulling of the edge by stropping this often (every day)? Thanks.

No yer not, the razors should be stropped before a shave... CORRECTLY is the key word...


Everything else is opinion, as in


How long before the shave
Amount
Pressure
Tautness of the strop
Hanging or paddle
Linen
Cotton
Type of leather
Webbing
Felt
etc:
etc:
etc:

In fact the only thing we all agree on is the razor should be stropped before each shave, heck forget that, now some people don't even think you need to strop before each shave...

The only thing we can agree on is .....

Hi,
As I understand it,stropping before each shave is necessary to straighten out the bent teeth of the "fin"-( under a miscroscope the fin has fine teeth that can be bent in use while you shave.)
As in everything though people have different opinions on this subject.
I strop the razor 60 strokes before and 15/20 strokes after a shave .
This subject is also covered in the wiki.
Hope this helps
regards
Noggs

I too strop before each shave doing 50 and 50 linen or webbed fabric and 20 on leather afterwards to get any micro gunk out of the fore mentioned teeth. This has been working out very well for me.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I too strop before each shave doing 50 and 50 linen or webbed fabric and 20 on leather afterwards to get any micro gunk out of the fore mentioned teeth. This has been working out very well for me.

Add 10-15 on fabric after the shave and this is what I do

Originally Posted by BabysBottom

Is stropping before every shave excessive? Am I just expediting the dulling of the edge by stropping this often (every day)? Thanks.

Stropping before shaving is the best key to you managing
the shave you are going to get.

With tossable razors of any kind they often start out too harsh
then shave well and then get tossed after inflicting one
last terrible shave.

Correct stropping lets you reset your blade to "just right"
over and over again for each and every shave. Just right
will come with practice and some gentle maintenance
with a finishing hone. Theres is some art here....

Some folk strop lightly, some with a hundred laps,
some canvas+ leather, some only leather, some
with a pasted strop all depending on the razor and
the whiskers.

Start with ten or twenty smooth light laps on canvas
and twenty to forty smooth light laps on leather.
If the edge seems too harsh/sharp reduce the canvas
laps, then reduce the leather laps. If the blade
tugs and pulls a bit increase them... and check the
angle of the razor on the face.

ok thanks all I'm going to experiment with different styles... but I did notice an improvement when I shaved post-stropping last time. Thanks all